Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1322

As Elidyr prepared his metal cards, each intricately engraved with runes, Wulfric's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. He admired Elidyr's readiness, acknowledging the underestimated prowess of runemasters in combat. "You've always been one to prove the doubters wrong, Elidyr. Not all runemasters shy away from a fight," Wulfric remarked with a hint of pride. However, Elidyr was in no mood for reminiscences. "Enough with the small talk, Wulfric. Let's just get on with it," he retorted with impatience.

Seeing that further words were futile, Wulfric ceased his circling and took a deep breath, signaling his preparation for a serious spell. Recognizing the cue, Elidyr acted swiftly. He grabbed a metal card from his collection, this one prominently featuring a bear claw rune. With a decisive crush, he activated the rune's power.

Instantly, an ethereal form of a massive bear emerged, its spectral presence imposing and fierce. The spirit of the bear surged towards Elidyr, melding into his body in a display of shimmering energy. The infusion visibly bolstered Elidyr's physical stature, his muscles seeming to swell and his stance becoming more formidable. His eyes flickered with enhanced vigor, and a subtle aura of increased defense surrounded him, readying him for the imminent clash.

Observing the transformation, Wulfric knew defeating Elidyr would not be simple. Then, he just nodded, acknowledging Elidyr's battle prowess as his own hands began to glow with the buildup of magical energy.

The room heated up significantly as Wulfric gathered his energy, manifesting it in the form of a swirling chakra. Despite the dim surroundings, the chakra glowed with an intensity that hinted at its power. Before Noah's death, such a glow would have illuminated the entire hall with brilliant light, but now it only cast eerie shadows on the faces of those present.

Whispers of awe and admiration rippled through the ranks of the dark army soldiers as they watched the display. "Damn, that's some serious heat," one soldier muttered under his breath, his eyes wide.

"Nice trick," Elidyr watched with a smirk before raising his own hand. In response, he summoned an icy barrier that sprang up before him. The temperature around them plummeted, the air filling with a biting cold that clashed with the heat from Wulfric's chakra.

As the two forces met, steam hissed into the air where the intense heat met the frigid cold, creating a mist that momentarily obscured their view. From within the swirling energy chakra, Wulfric launched fiery arrows that streaked through the air, glowing hot against the icy barrier. Each arrow struck with a sizzle, forming cracks across the once-solid ice.

"Shit, he's really going for it," another soldier commented as they watched the barrier begin to fracture under the assault.

As the fiery arrows continued their assault, each hit vaporized parts of the icy barrier, sending clouds of steam swirling around Elidyr, cloaking him in a thick mist. The battlefield briefly turned into a ghostly landscape, with visibility dropping sharply.

The onlookers strained their eyes, trying to discern shapes through the fog. The tension spiked, with murmurs and gasps filling the air as they anticipated Elidyr's next move. Suddenly, the last remnants of the ice shattered, and the mist began to clear, revealing that Elidyr was no longer in his original position.

Out of the thinning fog, Elidyr surged forward like a bolt of lightning. His fists were encased in a radiant golden glow, channeling the power of the runes into his strike. With a grunt of effort, he delivered a powerful punch directly to Wulfric's chest, propelling the elder wizard backward through the air.

Wulfric, caught by surprise but ever the skilled combatant, quickly regained his balance mid-flight. He twisted gracefully and landed on his feet with a thud that echoed through the hall. Dusting off his robes, he fixed his glasses, a slight smile playing on his lips as he assessed the renewed vigor in his opponent.

"Still full of surprises, aren't you?" Wulfric called out across the distance.

As Wulfric steadied himself for a counterattack, Elidyr, seizing the moment, swiftly pulled out several small, spherical objects from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed them directly at Wulfric's feet. The objects clattered on the ground, their ordinary appearance belied their true nature.

A blinding flash accompanied by a deafening bang erupted almost immediately, engulfing the area in dense smoke. The concoction was indeed one of Michael's side projects—designed not to harm but to disorient even the most powerful of cultivators for a few crucial seconds.

Through the haze and the ringing in their ears, Lane couldn't help but smirk, recognizing the sophisticated alchemy at play. "Typical of the Dark Lord, always adding an extra flare to his distractions," he remarked as his voice was laced with a mix of irritation and admiration. "Clever, but not clever enough to stop what's coming,"

Shielding his eyes briefly, Wulfric quickly regained his composure, but the momentary distraction had given Elidyr the opening he needed. Utilizing the metallic wings attached to his armor, he launched a series of rapid, slicing attacks, each accompanied by a metallic whoosh as he maneuvered through the air with grace and deadly intent.

Wulfric, however, was no novice. With decades of experience, he nimbly dodged each assault, his movements fluid and calculated. "Even after two thousand years, Elidyr, you fight with the vigor of youth. It's both admirable and tragic," Wulfric spoke as his eyes contained a hint of sorrow and something akin to loss.

"Don't talk like we're friends," Elidyr growled at Wulfric's cryptic words.

"We were friends once," Wulfric replied, his tone laced with an undeniable sadness. "We were, indeed."

The honesty and regret in Wulfric's voice caused Elidyr to hesitate. Something about Wulfric's words rubbed Elidyr the wrong way. As far as Elidyr knew, Wulfric was the headmaster of Mazeroth, and after the Dark Lord rescued him, he learned that Wulfric was monitoring him while he was cursed and stuck to a tree. The question was what Wulfric didn't want him to find out.

Seizing the opportunity, Wulfric chanted quickly, his hands drawing intricate signs in the air. Suddenly, an ethereal dragon manifested, its translucent scales shimmering with mystical energy. With a mighty roar, the dragon unleashed a forceful blast, catching Elidyr off guard and sending him hurtling backward.

The graduates, who had been watching the duel intently, gasped in astonishment. They had always known their headmaster was powerful, but seeing him suppress his true strength yet still conjure such a powerful spell under constraints was a testament to his mastery.

Instead of pressing his advantage, Wulfric stood there, letting Elidyr get back to his feet. "Seems like Wulfric has a soft spot for his enemies nowadays," Lane snickered with disdain. But they had no idea of the connection between Wulfric and Elidyr.

Although Wulfric gave Elidyr time to get back to his feet, Elidyr considered this a sign of disrespect. This only fueled his anger as he lunged at Wulfric once again. This time, he crushed a metal card engraved with a cheetah's head. Just like before, an ethereal figure of a golden cheetah appeared behind him before fading into his body, significantly increasing Elidyr's speed without the need for any potions.

The sudden burst of speed caught even Wulfric off guard. However, Wulfric was a veteran, and his calm mind gave him an advantage. He quickly cast a spell that replicated him into several duplicates, each possessing a Fusion stage cultivation. Before Elidyr could react, each of the duplicates moved independently, casting icy spheres at him.

Lane could count almost twenty duplicates of Wulfric, making it hard to recognize the original. Meanwhile, Elidyr, although caught off guard, leaped into the air using his metallic wings, avoiding the icy spears thrown at him. Mid-air, he used the enhanced speed from the cheetah rune and lunged at one of the Wulfrics. To everyone's surprise, Elidyr landed a punch on Wulfric's face, causing the other duplicates to fade away. They were astonished at how Elidyr managed to single out the original Wulfric and hit him.

As Elidyr's punch landed, he noticed a birthmark on Wulfric's chest when his robes slightly parted. It was a black birthmark in the shape of a half crescent moon.

"No… It can't be…" Elidyr muttered as Wulfric regained his footing after being forced back several feet by the punch.

"That birthmark…" Elidyr pointed at Wulfric's chest but couldn't form the next words. The body Elidyr occupied was not originally his, as Michael had used the Soul Eater skill on a half-elf and transferred Elidyr's soul into the new body, away from his withered one. However, Elidyr vividly remembered his original body and the birthmark, which looked the same as Wulfric's.

"Did you know I had the same birthmark?" he demanded as rage and desperation for answers was evident in his voice

Yet, Wulfric chose to remain silent, offering no answers. The rare hesitant look in his eyes was enough to surprise and shock Lane and the other professors. Lane, in particular, could sense there was more going on, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Answer me, damn it!" Elidyr shouted, his patience snapping as he lunged at Wulfric, driven by raw anger rather than spells or runes. Grabbing Wulfric by the collar, he shook him violently. "What the hell does this mean? Tell me!"

"I cannot tell you that. Some secrets must remain as it is," Wulfric shook his head.

Hearing another cryptic Elidyr finally snapped and began to laugh bitterly. In his mind, Elidyr's first plan was to attack the graduates and hold them hostage to force Wulfric to talk. However, he knew that if he tried to attack the graduates, it would end badly for him. Fighting Wulfric, the professors, and the graduates at the same time was a suicide mission. If Wulfric unleashed his full cultivation power, neither he nor the dark army soldiers would be enough. So, he decided to bring in the Dark Lord.

"You want to play it that way? Fine. You leave me no choice but to call the Dark Lord. He'll beat the hell out of you and get the answers himself,"

As Elidyr prepared to summon Michael, the tension in the room reached a breaking point. Everyone knew that when the Dark Lord arrived, all hell would break loose.

"Prepare yourselves," Elidyr said and established a connection to the Dark Lord through the earpiece.

"Dark Lord, we might need your help…We have company…It's Wulfric and I don't think we can take him on with all the other professors with him," The professors and the guarduats felt a chill running down their spine as they could imagine what would happen when the Dark Lord arrived. Although he was once their student, none of them could confidently say that he wouldnt attack them because they knew he was consumed by rage and vengeance and Elidyr's encouragement would only make matters worse.

"Whatever you are holding back, Wulfric. I'd tell him if I were you. Those secrets arent worth the lives of the people in this place," Lane reminded Wlfric because he knew Elidyr wouldn't hesitate to kill to get the answers he needed with the Dark Lord behind him.